Out of the Mouths of Babes
by livs2write
Summary: Oh, the things those little ones say! A weekend with Little AJ sparks the beginning of a future for Harm and Mac.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so I started this story ages ago, but have been busy trying to finish my other two. Then my sister and I had this wild conversation the other night (too many beers...), and suddenly this story wouldn't leave me alone. So, it's finished, and I'm posting it all at once. JAG, its characters, etc. are not mine. Just trying to make them a little happier! 'The Rubber Duck' song is from 'Sesame Street', and was one of my youngest daughter's favorites when she was little. Love you, Bird! Enjoy...

**16:45 EST**

**JAG Headquarters**

**Falls Church, VA**

**Friday**

"Auntie Mac!" a small voice yelled from across the bullpen, and Mac turned around just in time to be tackled around the legs by her eldest godson.

"Hey there, AJ!" Mac replied, smiling and kneeling down to eye-level with the preschooler. "How are you?"

"I'm good," AJ replied. "Mommy says I is going to your house this weekend."

Mac nodded. "That's right. We're going to have lots of fun, too."

"Your house is always fun," AJ told her.

Harm came out of his office carrying his briefcase and cover, and smiled at his godson. "Hey there, AJ," he said.

AJ turned his attention away from his godmother, and faced Harm. "Uncle Harm!" he said, launching himself at his godfather. "I is gonna go to Auntie Mac's for the weekend! You should come stay wif us, too. We is gonna have lotsa fun."

Harm looked down at AJ, eyes wide, and gave him a tentative smile. "I don't think Auntie Mac would like that," he told him.

"Is she mad at you _again_?" AJ asked in exasperation.

Harm blinked at the child. "Um… well, you see AJ," he began.

Mac had moved over to where they were, and had overheard the conversation. She noticed both Bud and Harriet looking uncomfortable, and she sighed inwardly. The last thing she wanted, was for AJ to be upset with the status of her and Harm's… whatever it was. She could already see the fear and concern in the young boy's eyes.

"Hey, how about Uncle Harm comes and visits us?" Mac suggested. "He has to sleep at his house, because my couch is too small for him, but he can come and have dinner with us, and stay until it's your bedtime."

Harm tried to hide his surprise as he looked at Mac. Smiling, he nodded. "Does that sound okay with you?" he asked AJ.

"Yes! Hurry and come to Auntie Mac's!" he said, as he grabbed his godmother's hand and began to tug on it. "We has lots to do!"

"I can't thank you enough for this, ma'am," Harriet said, as she handed Mac little AJ's suitcase, blanket and bear.

"No problem, Harriet," Mac assured her. "You know I love to spend time with him. Kiss Jimmy for me, okay?"

"I will," Harriet said, as Mac allowed herself to be dragged by the hand towards the elevator.

Harm looked to Bud and Harriet, as Mac and AJ stepped into the waiting elevator car. "Why's Mac watching AJ? Everything okay?"

"Oh, it's fine, sir," Bud replied. "Mac volunteered to keep him this weekend, so that Harriet and I could have a bit of a break. With two kids in the house, it has been a bit hectic."

"She's so good with him, too," Harriet said. "He always comes home from his overnight stays with her, raving about all of the fun they had. She's going to be a terrific mother, someday."

"She's done this before?" Harm asked, surprised, and silently agreeing with Harriet's assessment of Mac's maternal skills.

"Oh, yeah," Harriet said. "It's become a monthly ritual."

Harm only nodded, before bidding them farewell, telling them to kiss Jimmy for him, and to enjoy their weekend, before he left. His curiosity was piqued now, and he really wanted to get home to change so that he could get over to Mac's place as soon as possible.

**18:04 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Friday**

The knock sounded on the front door, and AJ jumped up from the table where he was coloring the pictures in his dinosaur coloring book.

"It's Uncle Harm!" he said excitedly, as he raced over to the door.

"AJ," Mac said, as she came out of the kitchen. "Don't open the door until you know for sure who it is," she admonished.

"Oh, yeah," AJ replied. "Who is it?" he called out.

"It's Uncle Harm," Mac heard Harm's voice come through. She undid the bolt, and allowed AJ to open the door.

"Yay! You came!" AJ said, grabbing Harm around the knees.

"Yes, I did," Harm laughed, leaning down to pick up the rambunctious child. He gave him a kiss on the cheek, tickled his tummy, and then set him back on the floor.

"Come color wif me," AJ said, as he headed back towards the table. "Auntie Mac is makin' dinner."

"Do you need any help?" Harm asked, as Mac closed the door and re-locked it.

"No; I've got it," Mac said, smiling slightly. "Go play with AJ."

Harm watched as she walked back into the kitchen, and then sat down at the table beside AJ. He looked at the page he was currently coloring. "Wow, that's a good job you're doing," he told the boy, who had colored the trees a ghastly shade of purple, and the dinosaur a bright orange. "What kind of dinosaur is that?"

"It's a…" he paused. "Auntie Mac? What kinda diosaur is this again?" he called.

"A Brontosaurus," Mac called from the kitchen.

"Thank you!" AJ called, then looked at Harm. "A Bronnosaras."

Harm smiled broadly at him, winking. "It's very nice."

"Bronnosarasuses only eats plants," AJ told him. "They don't eat people."

Harm nodded. "That's very good to hear."

"AJ, you need to wash up; dinner's just about ready," Mac told him, as she poked her head out of the kitchen door. "Clean up your coloring stuff, and you can finish later."

"Okay," AJ said, putting his crayons back into the plastic case sitting on the table, and setting the coloring book on top. He snapped the case closed, and then ran towards the bathroom.

"Should I go help him?" Harm asked, as Mac came out and wiped off the table where AJ had been sitting, and then set the table.

"He usually manages okay on his own," she told him. "There's a stool in there that he can use to reach the sink."

Harm nodded as he watched her head back into the kitchen. Things between them were better recently, but they still weren't anywhere near as close as they had been before he returned to flying, and he wished he knew how to bridge the gap between them.

AJ came bounding out of the bathroom, and hopped back into his chair at the table. "All done," he called to Mac.

Mac came out and held out her hand, palm up, and AJ promptly stuck one of his smaller ones into it for her to examine. After she was satisfied that he had, indeed, washed his hands, she went back into the kitchen and returned a moment later with two platters in her hand, which she set on the table.

Harm eyed the platters with raised eyebrows as Mac went back into the kitchen and emerged a moment later with two bowls and another plate, which she also set on the table.

"The grilled salmon is for you," she told Harm as she sat down and began dishing AJ's plate.

Harm smiled, thanked her, and took the plate with the salmon to put a piece on his plate.

"I likes chicken nuggets," AJ told Harm, as he picked one up and popped it into his mouth, only to spit it right back onto his plate. "It's hot!"

Mac gave him a patient smile. "I just took them out of the oven; of course they're hot. Be more careful, please."

"I will," AJ assured her as he picked up the previously discarded nugget and blew on it, before taking a tentative bite. When he was sure it was safe, he ate the rest of it.

"You need to eat some of your salad, too. Would you like ketchup for your French fries?" Mac asked him, as she placed a small portion onto his plate.

"Yes, thank you," AJ said, poking a piece of cheese-covered steamed broccoli with his fork and blowing on it before putting it into his mouth, and then eating a large bite of his salad. "You is a good cooker, Auntie Mac."

"Thank you, AJ," Mac said, smiling at him.

"Wasn't all of this pretty much pre-packaged, ready to heat and eat?" Harm grinned.

"Actually, the chicken nuggets, the steamed broccoli and cheese, and the French fries, are all made from scratch… as is the salmon and the salad," Mac told him. "I always make things from scratch when I have AJ here."

Harm looked surprised at this, before he smiled. "I'm impressed, Marine. This is excellent food."

"Thank you," Mac said, biting into another chicken nugget.

They ate in silence for several minutes, before AJ spoke up.

"Uncle Harm?" AJ asked, as he picked up another chicken nugget and took a bite.

"Yes?" Harm answered, taking a bite of his fish.

"Auntie Mac is pretty."

"Yes; very pretty," Harm said, noticing Mac's slight blush.

"And she's smart."

"Very smart," Harm replied with a nod, wondering where the child was going with this.

"She's a good cooker and she's fun, too," he said.

"Yes, on both accounts," Harm told him, noticing the curious look Mac was giving AJ.

"Well, if _you _won't marry her, I'm gonna," AJ said matter-of-factly.

Mac, who'd just taken a sip of water, began to choke.

Harm jumped to his feet and began to lightly pat her on the back. "You okay?"

Mac nodded, waving him away as she continued to cough for another moment.

When Mac had finally settled, and Harm was back in his seat, they both looked at AJ.

"Are you okay, Auntie Mac?" he asked, eyes wide.

Mac swallowed hard, ignoring Harm's amused look. "Yeah; I'm fine."

AJ looked at Harm and sighed, shaking his head, and then popped another French fry into his mouth.

**20:32 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Friday**

"AJ, your bath is ready," Mac said, as she came out of the bathroom.

"Cool!" AJ said, pulling his shirt over his head as he rushed towards the door where Mac was standing.

Mac turned and followed him in, closing the door slightly behind her.

Harm sat on the sofa, reading a case file as he listened to the splashing and laughing coming from the bathroom.

"Sing the rubber duck song!" AJ insisted.

Mac's musical laughter made Harm smile, and his curiosity got the better of him when he heard her agree. He stood and moved to stand just outside the bathroom door, watching as Mac kneeled in front of the tub and picked up the bright yellow rubber duck that was floating in the midst of all the bubbles. AJ had shampoo in his hair, and a bubble 'beard', and was grinning widely.

Harm's smile widened as he listened to Mac's clear, beautiful voice singing to AJ, while squeaking the duck at various times throughout the song.

"Rubber Ducky you're the one. :squeak: You make bath time lots of fun. Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond of you… wooboobeedoo… Rubber Ducky joy of joys. :squeak: When I squeeze you, you make noise. :squeak: Rubber Ducky you're my very best friend it's true. :squeak squeak: Oh, oh, oh, everyday when I make my way to the tub-by… I find a little fella whose cute and yellow and chub-by… scrub-a-dub-dub-by. :squeak: Rubber Ducky you're so fine, and I'm lucky that you're mine. Rubber Ducky you're my very best friend, it's true. :squeak: Oh, oh, oh, everyday when I make my way to the tub-by… I find a little fella whose cute and yellow and chub-by… scrub-a-dub-dub-by. :squeak: Rubber Ducky you're so fine, and I'm lucky that you're mine. Rubber Ducky, I'm awfully fond of, :squeak: Rubber Ducky wish I had a whole pond of, :squeak: Rubber Ducky I'm awfully fond of you!" :squeak squeak:

"Wooboobeedoo!" AJ added, laughing, and clapping excitedly. He wrapped his wet arms around Mac's neck and kissed her cheek. "You do that the bestest of anybody!"

Mac laughed and then made him sit back in the tub so that she could rinse him off. Then she pulled the plug on the drain and helped him to stand up, wrapping a towel around his body and lifting him out of the tub. When she turned around, holding the towel-clad child in her arms, she saw Harm leaning against the doorjamb, a wide smile on his face.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, surprised.

"Long enough," he replied. "Why don't I dry him off and dress him for bed, so you can get dried off yourself?"

Mac nodded, handing over AJ to Harm, who carried him out to the living room where his clothes were laid out on the sofa.

"I hasta wear a Pull-up for bed," AJ told Harm, handing him a pair of underwear made of diaper material.

Harm examined the thing, before shrugging and helping him into it. "Why do you have to wear a Pull-up for bed?"

AJ got a shy look on his face, and replied softly, "sometimes I don't wake up, and I potty in my pants."

Harm nodded his understanding. "Can I tell you a secret?" he asked AJ, keeping his voice low.

AJ nodded, expression serious.

"When I was your age, I still went in my pants sometimes at night, too. And we didn't have Pull-ups, so me, and my jammies, and my whole bed got all wet," he told him. "My Mom told me that it was okay, and as I got older it would get easier to wake up to go at night, or to not potty until morning."

"Really?" AJ asked, his expression hopeful.

"Really," Harm told him, nodding. "And guess what? She was right."

AJ breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Uncle Harm."

Harm winked at him, tapping his nose lightly with his forefinger. "No problem, Sport."

Mac, who had stopped outside her bedroom door when she heard their conversation, smiled softly and wiped a tear from her eye as she went into her room to bathe and change into her pajamas.

Thirty minutes later, Harm had given AJ his before bed snack and they were just finishing cleaning up, when Mac came out of her room.

"Let's get your teeth brushed and take you potty, and we'll go read your story," she told AJ, who nodded and made a beeline for the bathroom again.

Harm put the last dish into the dishwasher and glanced at Mac. "You're really good with him," he told her. "Did anyone ever tell you that you have great maternal instincts?"

"Not as often as I've been told I have a great karate chop," she said ruefully, sighing.

Harm smiled, but the smile vanished at the look on her face. "You okay?" he asked, concerned.

Mac shrugged and nodded, turning to head towards the bathroom where AJ was brushing his teeth.

Harm followed and waited while they finished up in the bathroom, watching Mac intently. Something was bothering his partner, and he wished fervently that he could get her to open up to him about what it was.

When they were done, AJ came out of the bathroom and grabbed Harm's hand. "C'mon Uncle Harm! You gotta read a story wif us!"

Harm looked to Mac, who smiled softly and shrugged. "Take your shoes off, though," she told him. "I don't want those dirty sneakers on my bed."

Harm gave her a cocky smile, and followed AJ into Mac's room.

AJ climbed into the middle of the bed, and patted the left side. "You go here, Uncle Harm."

Harm nodded, slipping his shoes off and moving the covers back so that he could get comfortable.

Mac, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a light blue t-shirt, climbed in on the right side of AJ and made sure he was covered up, before picking the book up off of the nightstand.

"This is my favoritest story," AJ told Harm.

"I see," Harm said, turning so that he was facing the boy and Mac.

"Ready?" Mac asked.

"Uh-huh," AJ nodded.

Mac showed him the cover and read, "Green Eggs and Ham."

Harm and AJ listened as Mac read the story, and Mac had to frequently pause to answer AJ's questions, or respond to a comment about the pictures. When she finally finished reading, she looked over and saw that Harm was asleep. Shaking her head, she sighed softly. AJ's eyes were droopy, but he wasn't yet asleep.

"Auntie Mac?" he said softly.

"Yeah?" Mac replied, brushing his blonde curls from his forehead.

"I wish you and Uncle Harm could gets married and have a baby," he said. "You'd be a good mommy."

"Hmm," was Mac's non-committal reply. "Thanks, AJ. Now go to sleep," she said, kissing his cheek.

"I love you," AJ said.

"I love you, too, sweetheart," Mac said.

She waited a few minutes until she was sure AJ was asleep, and then stood and moved to the other side of the bed, covering Harm with the blankets. Carefully, she kissed his cheek and whispered, "I wish we could get married and have a baby, too… I love you, Flyboy." Then she turned out the light and slipped into the living room.

Harm waited until she had left and then opened his eyes, his cheek still tingling from the feel of her lips, and his heart pounding so hard, his chest hurt, as her words filled him with a wonderful kind of warmth.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Feedback is always appreciated! Enjoy...

**07:57 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Saturday**

"Auntie Mac," AJ called softly, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up."

Mac opened her eyes and looked over to where AJ was standing beside the bed, smiling broadly.

"Me an' Uncle Harm made you brefast," he told her excitedly.

Mac looked behind AJ and Harm was standing there, holding a tray.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Harm said, smiling.

Mac blinked several times, sure that she was dreaming, before sitting up in the bed. Harm set the tray in front of her, and she examined the contents. Chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh melon, milk and coffee.

"It looks delicious," she said, smiling. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Harm said, as AJ climbed up onto the bed and kissed Mac.

"Do you like it?" AJ asked.

"I do," Mac said, as she took a drink of the coffee, sighing happily. It was perfect. "Have you two eaten?"

"We had brefast when we woke up," AJ told her. "Then we cleaned the kitchen, and made yours."

"How long have you been awake?" Mac asked Harm.

"AJ woke me up at 06:00," Harm told her. "Apparently he's used to getting up with Bud and Harriet in the mornings."

"Ah," Mac said, nodding. "You should have woken me up."

"Nonsense," Harm said. "We've been having a great time, haven't we buddy?"

AJ grinned, nodding. "What're we gonna do today?"

"Well, what would you like to do?" Mac asked. "This is your day, after all."

"Can we go to the zoo?" AJ asked. "And then when we come back, we can finger paint like you pwomised."

Mac raised her eyebrows at Harm. "Feel like a day at the zoo, Flyboy?"

Her use of that particular nickname brought back the memory of the night before, and Harm's grin nearly split his face. "With my two favorite people? Absolutely."

Mac looked slightly surprised, and she smiled at AJ. "All right, then; the zoo it is."

"Yippee!" AJ said, jumping up and down. "I'll go get dressed!"

Mac watched him race out of the room, shaking her head and smiling. "I wish they could bottle that energy."

Harm nodded, returning her smile. "Yeah." He indicated her breakfast tray. "Go ahead and finish, and then get ready to go. I'll take care of AJ."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Mac asked.

Harm leaned forward and kissed her forehead, looking into her eyes for a long moment. "I'm sure," he said, and Mac had the distinct feeling he wasn't just talking about taking care of AJ.

She watched as he moved towards the bedroom door, and then exited and closed it behind him. What in the world was going on?

**13:12 EST**

**National Zoo**

**Washington, D.C.**

**Saturday**

AJ had happily led them throughout the zoo, sometimes stopping just long enough to glimpse the animals, and at other times wanting to spend several minutes watching them interact with one another.

The current attraction fell into the latter category, as AJ sat on a bench and watched with rapt attention every move the chimpanzees were making. He was making faces at one chimp in particular, who would mimic him, causing the small boy to laugh hysterically.

"Did you see that?" AJ asked the two adults accompanying him.

"Yes, we did," Mac assured him, smiling at Harm.

Harm winked at her and then looked down at AJ. "Ready for lunch?"

"Can we eat lunch here, so we can watch the monkeys?" AJ asked.

Harm looked at Mac. "What do you think?"

"We packed a lunch so we could eat whenever we felt like it," she reasoned. "Why not eat lunch here?"

Harm nodded and pulled the cooler from beneath the stroller they'd rented, just in case AJ had gotten tired of walking. He handed AJ his sandwich first, and then gave Mac hers, before taking his own and sitting beside them on the bench.

"Auntie Mac? What're those monkeys over there doin'?" he asked, pointing.

Mac's gaze followed AJ's hand and she nearly choked. "Um… they're um…" she looked to Harm for assistance, but he only shook his head and shrugged, eyes wide.

"They're makin' baby monkeys," a small voice said.

Harm and Mac looked towards the sound of the voice, and found a small girl, probably about AJ's age, looking at them.

"Really?" AJ asked, scrunching his nose. "How do you know?"

"'Cause my mommy works here, and she told me," the girl replied.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Mac asked, smiling at the girl and hoping to steer the children's attention away from what the monkeys were doing.

"Awyssa," the girl replied.

"Your mom works here?" AJ asked. "Do you gets to come whenever you want?"

"Yep," Alyssa confirmed. "I even got to pet the monkeys, and hold a baby tiger."

"Cool!" AJ said, eyes wide.

"Alyssa?" a woman's voice called, just before a woman in a zookeeper's uniform came around the corner. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, when she saw Harm, Mac, and AJ. "I hope she wasn't disturbing you."

"No, not at all," Mac said, smiling. "I'm Lt. Colonel Sarah Mackenzie, and this is Commander Harmon Rabb," she said, introducing them. "This is our godson, AJ."

"A pleasure to meet you," the woman said. "I'm Nancy Brook, and I see you've already met my daughter, Alyssa."

"Mommy, can we let AJ pet the monkeys?" Alyssa asked.

Nancy looked at Harm and Mac. "I'd be more than happy to give you a 'behind the scenes' tour, if you're interested."

Mac looked at Harm, confirming that it was okay with him, before smiling at the woman. "We'd like that; thank you."

They quickly packed up the rest of their lunch, and then Nancy led them around the back of the monkey's enclosure and opened a gate. Once they were all through, she closed the gate and locked it again, before leading them through a door.

"This is where we get the monkey's food ready for them," she told them. "It's also where we help take care of the baby monkeys, and where we make sure that all the monkeys are healthy. If you'll wait here for a minute, I'll bring out one of the babies for you to see."

She opened another door and disappeared, returning a few moments later carrying a small monkey wearing a diaper.

"This is Bert," she told them, kneeling so that AJ and Alyssa could get a good look at the baby monkey. "Bert is three months old and his mommy can't take care of him, so we help her out.""Can I touch him?" AJ asked, awed at being so close.

"If you're very gentle. It's just like with a real baby," Nancy told him. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"A baby brudder," he told her.

"Ah, so you know how important it is to be really careful with babies," she said, eliciting a nod from AJ. She allowed AJ to pet the baby chimpanzee for several minutes, before she stood and held it towards Mac. "Would you like to hold him?"

Mac looked surprised, but smiled and nodded. "Please."

Nancy handed the baby monkey to her and smiled. "It's a lot different than holding a human baby. These little ones move around quite a bit more, and they can use both feet and hands to grab onto things. They're also more wiry."

"I see that," Mac laughed, as Bert grabbed at her necklace and tried to put it into his mouth.

"Here, this will help," Nancy said, handing Mac a bottle.

Mac held the bottle out and Bert immediately grabbed it and put it into his mouth, sucking greedily on it.

AJ laughed. "If you don't have a real baby, you an' Uncle Harm could 'dopt a monkey," he told her.

Harm chuckled. "See, I told you you're a natural mother… even the monkey likes you."

"And he looks just like you," Mac said, grinning at Harm's shocked/amused expression.

"Cute," he said, giving her a look that warned of future retribution.

Mac handed the baby monkey back to Nancy. "Thank you so much for doing this for us."

"Yeah, thank you!" AJ said, smiling.

"My pleasure," Nancy said, handing Harm a business card. "If you'd like to bring AJ back sometime, give me a call."

"Thank you," Mac said. "We'd better get going."

"Can we come back again?" AJ asked, as soon as Nancy had taken the monkey back inside, and then had returned to let them back out the gate.

"I think that can be arranged," Mac told him, smiling. "You have to be good for your mommy and help her with Jimmy, though."

"I will," AJ promised.

Once they'd reached the gate, Mac and Harm again thanked Nancy, said goodbye to Alyssa, and then left with AJ in tow.

They finished their day at the zoo and stopped at McDonald's for dinner, before heading back to Mac's apartment.

"Can Uncle Harm sleep over again, too?" AJ asked Mac, as they made their way to the car from the restaurant.

Mac looked over at Harm and gave him a small, mischievous smile. "Only if he goes home to get some clean clothes for tomorrow, and promises not to snore tonight."

"Hey!" Harm exclaimed. "I don't snore!"

"Yes you do," AJ and Mac said at the same time, causing AJ to laugh hysterically.

Harm waited until AJ was buckled into his car seat, before opening the passenger door for Mac, giving them both a small pout. "Oh, fine, gang up on me, why don't you?"

Mac paused just before she climbed in and smiled at him. "Suck it up, Sailor," she said.

Harm gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "Yes, dear," he said.

They both froze, standing there staring at one another with wide eyes, neither of them sure of what to say or do next.

"Hey!" AJ said from the backseat. "Can we go now? We still gots to finger-paint!"

Mac licked her lips and smiled softly at Harm. "You heard him… we gotta go." With that, she turned and climbed into the vehicle.

Harm closed the door behind her and took a deep breath, before heading over to the driver's side.

With any luck, this weekend would change the course of his life forever, he thought, as he buckled his seatbelt and started the engine.

**18:33 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Saturday**

Mac brought out five medium-sized bowls and set them on the table in front of AJ, who was wearing an old shirt of Mac's, turned around backwards.

"Is this pudding paint?" AJ asked.

"It is," Mac said, smiling.

"Pudding paint?" Harm asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Vanilla instant pudding, a few drops of food coloring, and voila! Pudding paint," Mac said. "Lots of fun and edible, too. Of course, the brown one is chocolate pudding, though."

Harm gave her an odd look. "Sounds interesting."

Mac sat down beside AJ and set a glossy piece of paper in front of each of them. "Ready?" she asked the boy.

"Yep," AJ said. "I'm gonna paint a piture of our trip to the zoo," he told her.

"Good idea," Mac said, as she allowed AJ to drop a few globs of the colored pudding onto his paper.

"What're you gonna make?" he asked her.

"I don't know yet," Mac said. "I'll figure it out as I go."

"You always say that," AJ said, shaking his head. "But your pitures are always neat."

"So, where are these pictures?" Harm asked, as he watched them begin to work on their masterpieces.

"In a scrapbook over on the bookshelf," Mac said, nodding towards the living room.

"May I?" he asked her.

"Sure," Mac shrugged.

Harm stood and walked over to the bookshelf, scanning the scrapbook titles. 'Harm and Me', 'My childhood', 'O'Hara/Mackenzie Family Photos,' and 'JAG Family' piqued his curiosity, but he resisted the urge to pull them off of the shelf and look through them. Finding the one that said 'Pudding Paint Pictures', he took it down and walked to the table, sitting in the chair and opening it up.

The book was set up in such a way that, for every picture of AJ's, Mac's picture from the same day was facing it on the opposite page. Mac had dated and captioned, all of their pictures, and while AJ tended towards painting pictures of the things, he assumed, that they had done together, Mac's were of things that struck her fancy at the time.

There were pictures of the Arizona desert, and of different types of dinosaurs, pictures of a yellow biplane that looked suspiciously like 'Sarah'… a whole assortment of different themes. Smiling, Harm looked up at Mac.

"These are very good," he said to her. It struck him that there were many things about his partner that he didn't know about, and he silently vowed to remedy that.

"Thank you," Mac said, continuing her painting right alongside AJ.

They painted in silence for several minutes, Mac finishing her picture first. She set it in the middle of the table to dry, and then moved to the kitchen to wash her hands. When AJ finally finished his, she moved it beside hers in the center of the table and then led him to the bathroom so that he could rinse his hands in the sink, before climbing into the bath she'd gotten ready for him.

"I'll handle things in here," Harm told her, "if you want to clean up out there."

"Thanks," Mac replied. "I appreciate that."

Harm settled in front of the tub, but stuck his head out of the door a few minutes later. "Mac! I don't know the rubber duck song!"

Mac laughed and shook her head. "Well then, it's time you learned," she said, as she went into the bathroom with them and sat on the floor in front of the tub.

After she and AJ had taught Harm the rubber duck song, Mac handed AJ a soapy washcloth and told him to start cleaning up.

"Auntie Mac, boys is different from girls," AJ told her, matter-of-factly, as he washed.

Mac looked at Harm with a small smile. "Yes, they are."

"Girls have aginas and boys have peisis," he told them.

Harm's face was turning red, as he tried to hold in his laughter.

Mac had a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look on her face, as she looked at Harm. "Yes, they do… did your Mommy tell you that?"

"Uh-huh," AJ confirmed. He stopped washing and looked intently at her chest for a minute. "Your boobies are bigger than my Mom's are."

Harm bit his lip so hard, it started to bleed, as he continued to try to hold in his laughter.

"You noticed that already, did you?" Mac asked quietly, shaking her head. "You are definitely male…"

Harm lost it at this point, rushing out of the bathroom and into Mac's room, where she could hear his laughter echoing through the apartment.

"Mommy says girlses boobies are bigger than boyses, because they hafta feed babies with them," AJ continued, not having heard what Mac had said.

"Yes, that's true," Mac told him, glaring at Harm when he poked his head around the corner, still grinning.

"Why don't daddies hafta feed babies too?" he asked. "Mommy says they help to make the babies, then they don't hafta do anymore work after that, until the baby is bigger."

"I don't know," Mac said, rinsing the soap from his hair and body. "That's just the way God made it."

"That isn't fair," AJ declared. "The mommies hafta carry the babies in their tummy, and then they hafta feed them from their boobies… they has to do all the work!"

Mac smiled at AJ, as she let the water out of the tub and wrapped a towel around him, lifting him out and setting him onto the bath mat.

"Well, daddies can help, too," she told him. "They can change diapers, and play with the baby, and help take care of the housework, so the mommy doesn't have so much to do. If he's a really good daddy, he'll give the mommy foot rubs and massages, and make sure that she is taken care of, so she doesn't feel so tired all of the time."

"You're going to get Bud into trouble," Harm whispered, as she handed AJ to him.

"Not if he's a really good daddy," she grinned.

"Come on, Sport," Harm said, kissing AJ's cheek and lifting him into his arms, carrying him out to the living room. "Let's get you ready for bed."

"We hafta have a snack before bed!" AJ told him.

"I'll take care of that, right now," Mac said, heading towards the kitchen. "How does chocolate cake sound?"

**21:03 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Saturday**

Mac sat on her sofa, putting her head back and sighing contentedly, before she looked at Harm, who'd taken a seat beside her. "I can't believe how much energy he has! I'm amazed he finally went to sleep."

"I can't believe that you let him eat three pieces of cake before bed," he smiled, shaking his head. "Don't you know what a rush kids get from all that sugar?"

Mac chuckled. "Oh, I know," she replied. "And I know I'm going to pay for it later, but he's just so hard to say 'no' to."

Harm turned slightly to face her, still smiling. "I guess I should be thankful for that," he said. "After all, he got you to let me stay the night again."

Mac bit her bottom lip and looked into his eyes. "It wasn't that hard," she told him honestly. "I like having you here."

"I like being here," he said, moving closer to her slowly, his eyes holding her own captive until his lips gently brushed against the warm fullness of her mouth. He pulled back just long enough to look into her eyes, and when he didn't sense any objection forthcoming, he kissed her again.

Mac wrapped her arms around his neck, one hand on the back of his head as the kiss deepened and then exploded, taking on a life of its own. She felt his tongue brush the seam of her lips and she opened her mouth to allow him entrance, moaning softly as she tasted him.

Harm was intoxicated by the taste and feel of her mouth as he explored every inch of it, and gasped in delight when Mac's tongue finally thrust into his own mouth to discover him. He couldn't remember ever being so satisfyingly turned on by just a kiss, and he knew that it was the woman he was kissing that made all the difference in the world.

Harm finally broke away from her mouth, trailing kisses along her jaw line to her neck, down to her collar bone, before blazing a trail back up to her ear. Nipping the earlobe lightly with his teeth, he smiled in satisfaction when he heard Mac's sharp intake of air, and then slowly moved back to her tantalizing mouth.

Mac leaned back on the sofa, pulling him on top of her as she went, and began unbuttoning his shirt, sliding the offending material off of him and allowing it to fall to the floor. His tank-style undershirt was next, before she undid his belt and began to undo the buttons on his jeans.

Harm breathlessly broke the kiss, looking into her eyes. "Mac… AJ's in the next room," he said, disappointment tingeing his voice.

As if she'd suddenly been splashed with ice cold water, Mac cringed and began to withdraw. "I'm sorry," she said softly, pushing him slightly to get him to move off of her.

"Hey," Harm said, rolling to the back of the sofa but still keeping her close to him. "I'm not… I just don't want to have to explain to Bud and Harriet if AJ catches us," he grinned, caressing her face with his palm and kissing her tenderly again.

Mac smiled slightly and nodded, burrowing into him. "We should get to bed; AJ will be up early again tomorrow."

"What time are you supposed to take him back to Bud and Harriet?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

"09:00 hours," she murmured. "I usually take him out to breakfast around 07:30 and then take him home after that."

"Hmm…" Harm began thoughtfully. "We could take him to breakfast at 07:30, have him home by 09:00, and be back here by 09:45... That gives us the whole rest of the day tomorrow alone."

Mac pulled back and looked into his eyes, her expression pensive. "Harm… as much as I want… you… we can't just fall into bed and expect that everything between us is going to be all sunshine and roses," she said softly.

Harm nodded, hugging her to him again. "I know, Mac; I know. But words always seem to fail us… maybe we should let the actions do the talking first, and then go from there. I love you, and I'm tired of pretending there's nothing between us."

Mac pulled back again, eyes wide. "Say that again."

Harm frowned, puzzled. It dawned on him what she meant and he smiled at her, cupping her face in his palms and kissing her tenderly. "I love you," he said again, resting his forehead against hers.

"Harm…" Mac breathed, just before he kissed her again.

Breaking the kiss before it could get away from them again, Harm smiled and tilted his head towards the bedroom. "We should get some sleep."

Mac smiled softly and nodded, moving from the sofa and helping him up. Wrapping her arms around his waist, they made their way to the bedroom where Mac carefully moved AJ over so that she could climb into the middle of the bed.

Crawling in behind Mac, Harm pulled her next to him so that she was spooned against him before making sure AJ was close enough to Mac that he wouldn't roll out of the bed.

"Good night, Mac," Harm whispered, feathering a kiss on her neck.

Mac shivered, smiling. "Good night, Harm."

In no time at all, they were both sound asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Really hoping I kept it within the T rating. I think I did. Enjoy...

**09:04 EST**

**Roberts' Home**

**Rosslyn, VA**

**Sunday**

AJ hopped out of Harm's SUV and ran towards the front door, skidding to a halt and looking back at his godparents. Shaking his head, he tried the door. When he found it was locked, he sighed loudly and contemplated ringing the doorbell.

"Don't you dare touch that doorbell, AJ!" Mac called from the curb, where she and Harm had just broken apart from a lingering kiss, smiling as she took his suitcase, pillow, and bear from Harm and carried them towards the door.

"I know!" AJ called back impatiently.

"How did you know he was going to ring the bell?" Harm asked, placing his arm around her waist as they walked up to the step.

"The first time he stayed with me I brought him home after breakfast, but didn't get up here fast enough for him, so he rang the bell… repeatedly… until it woke up Jimmy," Mac told him. "Bud was not amused."

Harm winced. "I bet."

"Knock, but do it politely," Mac said, once they were on the doorstep with him.

AJ made a fist and knocked on the door, firmly but politely, as Mac had taught him. "Is that right, Auntie Mac?"

Mac smiled at him, nodding. "Very good."

AJ grinned up at her.

A minute later, Harriet opened the door and looked at them with a broad smile. Kneeling down, she hugged her son. "Mmm… how's my boy this morning?"

"Fine," AJ said, moving past his mother the moment she released him and running into the house. "Can I play atendo?" he asked.

"AJ, you just got here," Harriet protested, as she allowed Harm and Mac to enter before closing the door. "Hello sir, ma'am," she smiled.

"Harriet…" Mac sighed.

"Sorry," she grinned. "Habit."

Mac smiled.

"Would you like some coffee?" she asked. "Bud is still in the shower, but he should be down in a minute."

"Coffee would be great," Mac smiled, taking the seat on the sofa that Harriet indicated.

"Si- uh, Harm, would you like some coffee?" Harriet asked.

Harm grinned, nodding. "That would be nice; thank you."

Jimmy looked at them from his place in his swing and smiled broadly at them, cooing.

"May I hold Jimmy?" Mac called into the kitchen.

"Absolutely!" Harriet called back.

Lifting the baby boy from the swing, she cuddled him close. "How's Jimmy today, huh?" she asked him, kissing his chubby baby cheek.

Jimmy grinned up at her, bouncing as much as he could, as Mac sat back down beside Harm, turning Jimmy to face his godfather.

"Hey big guy," Harm said, grinning at the baby boy. He tickled his tummy, smiling widely when he laughed.

Harriet came out of the kitchen and set their mugs full of coffee on the table in front of the sofa. "How was AJ?" she asked.

"Perfect," Mac smiled. "We always have a lot of fun together, and he minds me very well."

Harriet sighed wistfully. "Maybe you could share your secret with me… he's getting to be more of a handful everyday."

Mac smiled sympathetically at her friend, as she turned Jimmy so that he was facing her and held him in a standing position.

Jimmy laughed happily as Mac bounced him gently up and down.

Bud came down the stairs then, and smiled at his friends. "Hello sir, ma'am!"

Harm and Mac both laughed, shaking their heads.

"Good morning, Bud," Harm said.

"Hey buddy!" he said to AJ, hugging his son. "Did you have fun with Auntie Mac?"

"Uh-huh," AJ nodded. "We wents to the zoo and saw the monkeys~ they were making a baby monkey~ and then Awyssa's mommy let us go in the back and I gots to pet a real baby monkey!" AJ exclaimed.

"Sounds like you had fun," Bud said.

"I did!" AJ said. "I'm gonna go to my room now!"

"Uh…" Bud said, looking to Harm and Mac for an explanation, as AJ pounded up the stairs. "What's this about making a baby monkey?"

Harm quickly gave them the details of their trip to the zoo, blushing when he told them about the two monkeys that were 'making a baby monkey' as Alyssa had put it.

"What should I say to him?" Bud asked, eyes wide.

"Bud, if he doesn't ask… don't volunteer anything," Mac said. "He seems to be perfectly happy with the explanation he got from Alyssa, so just let it go."

Harriet nodded. "I think that's a good idea, for now, Bud."

Bud sighed in relief, nodding. "Thanks."

"Thank you, again, for taking him, Mac," Harriet smiled.

"It was my pleasure, Harriet," Mac smiled, cradling Jimmy in the crook of her arm. "He's welcome, anytime." She looked down at Jimmy, surprised when the baby started nuzzling her as if he was trying to nurse. "Um… I think you want your mommy for that," she said, handing him off to Harriet. "I can't help you, there."

"No, but you could help me…" Harm whispered in her ear, once she'd settled beside him again, causing her to choke on the sip of coffee she'd just taken.

"You okay, ma'am?" Bud asked, concerned. He'd been watching as Harriet covered herself with the blanket to nurse, so he'd missed the exchange.

"Fine," Mac gasped. "Just swallowed wrong." Setting her cup back down, she stood and grabbed her purse. "We should be going; I have things to take care of at home."

"Thanks for bringing AJ home for us," Bud said, smiling as he, too, stood.

Harm stood and followed Mac to the door. "See you at the office tomorrow," he said to Bud and Harriet.

"Goodbye," Harriet said, smiling up at them.

"Bye," they said, walking outside.

The minute Bud closed the door, Mac thwacked Harm in the chest.

"Ow!" Harm said, eyes wide. "What was that for?"

Mac gave him a pointed look.

Harm grinned at her. "Well… it's true."

"Take me home, and we'll see," she said, sauntering away from him.

Harm's mouth dropped open in shock, and he stood rooted to the spot, as he watched her walk away and climb into the SUV. Grinning, he hurried to his car and climbed in, praying he could keep it together until they got to Mac's place.

**09:47 EST**

**Mac's Apartment**

**Georgetown**

**Sunday**

Mac was in his arms a minute after he'd opened her door for her, and Harm's mouth crashed down onto hers, kissing her hungrily.

They somehow made it up the stairs, kissing and caressing, and Mac fumbled with the keys to her apartment door. Harm finally took them from her and unlocked the door, both of them nearly falling over when it opened, as he'd had her backed against it.

Pushing her inside, Harm closed the door and locked it again, before turning her and pushing her against it again, his mouth fused to hers once more.

Mac pulled his t-shirt out of his jeans and pushed it up, breaking their kiss long enough to help him remove it. She let it fall to the floor, before repeating the same action with his tank-style undershirt.

Harm kissed her neck as his undershirt fell from her grasp, his nimble fingers unbuttoning the blouse she wore and pushing it from her shoulders, where it joined his shirts on the floor. Pulling back enough to look at her for a moment, he smiled as he tried to calm himself some. There was no way he was going to allow this to be a heated joining on the sofa or the living room floor. It was far too important. To both of them.

Taking her hand into his, he led her to the bedroom where he sat down on the bed, moving her to stand in front of him.

Mac looked down into his eyes and smiled softly, surprised to find that she was nervous. She wasn't sure what she had to be nervous about, but her stomach felt as if it was full of butterflies, and her heart was racing wildly in her chest.

"Um, Mac," Harm said quietly. "Before we get too far… do I need something? We still have a little over a year on our deal, so…"

Mac blinked suddenly and shook her head, smiling shyly. "I've got it covered," she told him.

"You sure? A baby isn't the only thing to think about," he said.

"You have something you forgot to tell me?" she asked teasingly. "Harm, I trust you… more than anyone."

Harm smiled tenderly and nodded. "I'm glad of that. I trust you, too."

"Now quit talking and kiss me," she ordered, grinning seductively.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, standing and pulling her into his arms so that he could oblige her.

Mac undid the button fly on his jeans, pushing them down as far as she could reach, and Harm toed off his shoes before removing both his jeans and his socks. Clad only in his boxers, he sat back onto the bed and pulled Mac to him, unbuttoning her jeans before he slid the zipper down. Leaning forward, he helped her take her sandals off, before removing her jeans.

Mac bit her top lip as she stood before him, clad only in her lacy maroon bra and panties. The look in his eyes reassured her, as did the tender way in which he caressed her exposed skin, before he stood up and pulled back the covers on the bed, gently laying her down in the center. He joined her a moment later, his large palm smoothing her hair as he looked lovingly into her eyes.

"I love you, Mac," he said softly. "I want you to know that this is it for me… you are the first woman that I've ever _made love_ to, and you are the last woman that I will ever have a first time with. From now on, it's you and only you. Forever."

Mac blinked back her tears at his tender words, reaching up to cup his cheek in her palm. "I love you, too, Harm," she breathed. "You're it for me, too. Forever."

Smiling softly, he kissed her gently and removed the rest of their clothing. He took his time, using his actions to convey what he found so hard to put into words, and when they were both satisfied and exhausted, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

"Mac?" he whispered, a short while later.

"Hmm?" she murmured, her palm still caressing his bare chest as if she were trying to reassure herself that he was, indeed, real.

"Is it too soon to ask you to marry me?" he asked quietly.

She froze at his words, eyes wide.

"Mac?" Harm asked, concerned when she didn't reply. He rolled them so that he was over her, his head tilted slightly. "Did I just ruin everything?"

Mac looked up and gave him a small smile, shaking her head.

"Then will you answer me, before I have a heart attack?" he asked, grinning sheepishly.

"No, it's not too soon," she said.

Harm waited for more, frowning in puzzlement when she didn't say anything else. Realization dawned and he grinned, kissing her tenderly. "Sarah Mackenzie, will you marry me?"

Mac smiled widely, nodding. "Yes."

Harm's grin lit up the room and he kissed her again. "We'll have to get you a ring, soon. I want you to pick it out… whatever you want, it's yours."

"You hit the lottery, Sailor?" she teased.

"Well, within reason," he amended, chuckling. "But seriously, I want you to have the ring you want. After all, you're going to be wearing it for eternity."

Mac paused at the use of that word, feeling him tense up slightly. Reaching up, she kissed him soundly. "You're right," she agreed. "I am."

Harm relaxed and rested his forehead against her. "I've been such a fool all these years. I've hurt you so much… is saying 'I'm sorry' ever going to be enough?"

"More than," she assured him. "Let it go."

Harm looked at her intensely. "I'm ready to, now."

Smiling as she realized just what he was referring to, she pulled him down to her. "Show me," she breathed.

And he did.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: This is the final chapter~ hope you like it. I have to warn you, this bit of insanity was sparked by that wild conversation I told you about. Take it with a grain of salt (a few margaritas couldn't hurt, either!), please! Enjoy...

**02:21 EST**

**Rabb Home**

**Falls Church, VA**

**14 Months Later**

Mac turned off the light in the bathroom, quietly opening the door so as not to rouse her sleeping husband. Sighing, she rubbed her extended abdomen, as she felt the baby within kicking solidly again. She'd felt off all day, and was still not feeling quite right, but with two weeks to go until her due date, she brushed it aside.

She had climbed back into bed and was almost asleep, when the phone rang. Grabbing it quickly, she answered. "Hello?"

"Mac?" Bud's voice came over the line. "Sorry to bother you, but it's time. Harriet's water broke, so we're loading up the boys and heading for the hospital now."

"We'll meet you there," Mac said, already climbing out of bed.

Harm, having been woken by the phone, flipped on the light and started moving the minute he heard her words. As soon as she hung up the phone, he looked at her. "Harriet's in labor?"

Mac nodded, smiling as she pulled a dress over her head and slipped on her sandals. Everyone at JAG headquarters had been placing bets on which one of them would deliver first, and it was kind of a running joke between them. Harriet's due date was a week later than Mac's, but with Harriet carrying twins, there were no guarantees that Mac would deliver first. Especially since this was her first pregnancy, and Harriet's fifth.

They got down to the car and were headed towards the hospital, when Mac suddenly gasped and put a hand on her abdomen, frowning. "Uh… Harm?"

"Mac?" Harm asked, immediately concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Um… my water just broke," she said, suddenly grinning up at him. "Looks like this could still go either way."

Harm shook his head in disbelief, as he chuckled and pressed the speed dial for Admiral Chegwidden's home on his cell phone. "Sir? Sorry to wake you, but you are _not_ going to believe this…"

Ten minutes later, Harm was wheeling Mac out of the elevator on the Obstetrics floor, smiling at Bud, who had Jimmy in one arm and was holding AJ's hand with the other.

"Sir?" Bud asked, eyeing Mac with wide eyes, as she breathed uncomfortably through a contraction.

"Mac's water broke on the way," Harm told him. "Admiral Chegwidden and Sturgis are on the way to help out with the boys."

Bud nodded, as Sturgis Turner stepped off of the elevator and headed towards the group.

"Lt. Commander Roberts, where is your wife?" Turner asked.

"In a room," Bud told him. "I was waiting for Harm and Mac so I could join her."

"Well, go on, then," Turner grinned, taking Jimmy from Bud and sitting down in a nearby chair. He smiled at Mac in the wheelchair, rubbing her extended abdomen. Leave it to Mac and Harriet to keep them all on their toes.

"Auntie Mac, is your baby coming now, too?" AJ asked, placing his small palm on her tummy.

"It sure is," Mac smiled at him. "I need you to sit with Uncle Sturgis and Uncle AJ and be a very good boy, okay?"

"Okay," he said, nodding and then smiled. "All of our babies is going to be bornded together!"

"Harm, take your wife and go," Turner said. "I've got things here."

"And I'm here to help," the Admiral's voice said from behind them. "You heard the man, Rabb; dismissed."

Harm nodded in thanks and wheeled Mac through the double doors to the maternity ward, stopping at the desk to check in.

A nurse helped Mac change into a hospital gown and was prepping her for delivery, while Harm sat at the head of the bed and helped her through her contractions.

Two hours later, Mac was panting after another hard contraction, as she looked at the nurse who had just entered. "How is Harriet Roberts?" she asked. "Has she delivered yet?"

The nurse looked surprised. "You two know each other?"

"We're family," Mac smiled. "There's kind of a bet on which one of us will deliver first."

The nurse laughed at that. "She's doing well. Dilated to six, so it won't be long now."

Mac nodded and thanked her, as her doctor came into the room.

"Mrs. Rabb, how are we doing?" he asked.

"Holding my own," she replied.

"Let's see how far you've gotten," he said, pulling on a pair of gloves to check her. "Oh, you're at six centimeters… it won't be long now."

Harm and Mac both started laughing at that, earning a confused look from the doctor.

He didn't stay confused for long. In fact, word had spread throughout the Labor and Delivery staff of the two women who were running neck and neck, and a pool of their own had started on who would deliver first.

Three hours after the pronouncement that they were both at six centimeters, Mac was wheeled into a delivery room, gritting her teeth against the almost constant pain.

"Mrs. Roberts is next door," the nurse told her. "Would you like us to open the door?"

"Yes," Mac said, smiling once the contraction ended. "Harriet?" she called the minute the door was open.

"Mac?" Harriet called back. "Bud told me you were in labor, too. How are you?"

"Close!" Mac said. "I just might beat you, yet!"

"I don't think so," Harriet laughed, before she cried out as another contraction tore through her.

Mac was right behind her.

Fifteen minutes later, there was a doctor at the foot of each bed, as both women were moments away from delivery.

Harm looked up in time to see Bud, and they grinned at each other, giving one another a 'thumbs up', before turning their attention back to their wives.

Groans, near-screams, and curses could be heard as the two women worked to bring their babies into the world.

Harm was only marginally aware of what was happening next door, as his focus was completely on the woman he loved, and the same was true for Bud. He wiped the sweat from Mac's brow, helping to hold her up as he held her hand while she pushed.

Minutes later, at the exact same moment, both doctors looked up at the anxious parents and exclaimed, "It's a boy!"

Harm kissed Mac, and they both had tears in their eyes. Then he looked to the doctor as he asked him to come and cut the umbilical cord, and then the doctor handed his son to him, wrapped in a towel. Staring at the tiny being he held in his arms in awe, he smiled down at him before handing him to Mac.

"He's perfect," he breathed, as he kissed her again. "Thank you."

Tears spilled from her eyes and Mac kissed her son's tiny forehead, smiling at the sound of his cries. "Hello, sweetheart," she whispered to him. "I'm your Mommy."

A nurse put a blue band with a long number on it on the baby, and a matching one on both Harm's and Mac's wrists, before smiling apologetically at them. "We need to take him now for a bit."

Mac reluctantly handed him over.

"Do you want to come to the nursery with him, Daddy?" the nurse asked.

Harm paused, but smiled when Mac nodded encouragingly to him. "I'll be back soon," he promised, kissing her forehead.

Mac nodded and turned her attention to the doctor, as the ordeal was not quite over yet.

**09:21 EST**

**George Washington University Hospital**

**Washington, DC**

**Tuesday**

Harm looked up and smiled when he saw Bud enter the nursery, following two nurses. "Well, Commander? What have we got?"

"One of each, Sir," Bud grinned. "A boy _and_ a girl. You, Sir?"

"It's a boy," Harm said, beaming. "And Bud, call me Harm, would you? Which one of them was born first?"

"My son," he replied. "08:43 a.m."

"You're kidding," Harm laughed. "So was ours."

"It's a tie," they said in unison, both laughing.

Mac and Harriet were placed in the same room at their insistence, and both were waiting for their husbands to return from the nursery.

"I wonder which one of our sons was born first," Mac smiled, after they had established that Bud and Harriet's son was born before his sister. "You guys have names yet?"

Harriet nodded. "How about you?"

"It was tough, but we finally settled on one we could both agree on," Mac smiled. "Harm refused to have a Harmon the third, so there was much debate on a name."

Harm and Bud entered the room and each man moved to kiss his wife. After the women had established that their children were well and would be with them soon, they couldn't wait any longer.

"So?" Mac asked. "Who won?"

"It's a tie," Bud grinned. "Both boys were born at 08:43."

"You're serious?" Harriet asked, eyes wide.

"Very," Harm said, grinning. "We couldn't believe it."

Mac and Harriet both burst out laughing at that.

"What are the odds?" Mac asked, wiping a tear from her eyes, still laughing.

"Only the two of you could pull _that _off," Harm agreed, smiling.

Three nurses entered at that moment, each one pushing a plastic bassinet on wheels. After checking the mothers' bands to be sure they were getting the right babies, they smiled, handing the babies to their mothers, and quietly left the room.

Mac held her son in her arms and sighed happily as she unwrapped him to count all his fingers and toes, and thoroughly check him over.

Harriet was doing the same with her two, having Bud help her with their daughter.

Once Mac was satisfied, she wrapped her son back up and allowed Harm to take him over so that his godparents could see him.

"Uncle Bud, Auntie Harriet, we want you to meet your godson, Robert Matthew Rabb," Harm smiled. "We took your last name for his first name."

"That was so sweet!" Harriet said, smiling as she finished wrapping up her own son. "He's beautiful!" she said, smiling at the tiny form. "How much did he weigh?"

"Five pounds, eleven ounces," Harm said, smiling.

"He's a heavyweight compared to these two," Bud said. "Michael Harmon weighed in at four pounds four ounces, and Nicole Mackenzie was all of four pounds two ounces."

Bud had carried Nicole, aka Nikki, over to Mac, while Harm had handed Robert, aka Robby, over to Harriet before picking up Michael and carrying him over to show his wife.

"We're both very honored that you named them after us, and that we're their godparents, as well," Harm smiled. "Boy, what a story we have to tell them when they're older, huh?"

"Think they'll believe us?" Mac grinned.

"We have the birth certificates to prove it," Bud reminded them, as they returned the infants to their rightful parents.

"Would you be offended if Bud draws the curtain for awhile?" Harriet asked Mac, smiling.

"Not at all," Mac assured her, wanting some time alone with her own family, as well.

Bud drew the curtain between the beds, settling into the chair beside Harriet's bed and picking up Nikki, cuddling her close.

"You know, after baby Sarah, I never thought I'd be able to handle having another daughter," Bud said softly. "But after holding Nikki, I can't imagine ever not having her."

Harriet smiled tenderly at him, nodding. She sighed happily as she started to nurse Mikey, closing her eyes.

**10:03 EST**

**George Washington University Hospital**

**Washington, DC**

**Tuesday**

A nurse came in to help Mac learn to breastfeed, and Harm sat in the chair beside the bed, silently observing.

"Sarah, you're making this too hard," the nurse told her gently. "It comes naturally to both mother and baby, but you just have to relax and let it happen."

Mac nodded, taking a deep breath and releasing it, allowing herself to completely relax. The minute she did, Robby latched on and began sucking greedily, looking up at his mother.

Mac blinked as she looked into his eyes, and her own filled with tears. She was a _mother_. After years of waiting, hoping… praying… she was finally a mother. Brushing her index finger lightly across his forehead, she smiled tenderly. "I love you," she said softly to the baby boy.

Robby stopped nursing long enough to look intently up at his mother, before resuming his task with a look of concentration on his tiny features.

The nurse nodded to Mac, and then Harm, slipping out the door, and Harm moved to sit on the bed beside Mac, facing her and his son.

Leaning forward, he kissed the baby boy on the forehead and then moved to kiss his beautiful wife. "I love you," he said softly. "Thank you."

"I love you, too," she smiled. "What are you thanking me for?"

"For making my life complete," he said. "For giving me a son. For loving me, and being my wife."

"You're welcome for all of those things, but you should thank AJ," she said, still smiling.

"AJ?" he asked, confused.

"He gave us a push in the right direction," she told him seriously. "Until that weekend he spent with the two of us, I was beginning to think we'd never get together."

Harm gave her a rueful smile and nodded his head. "Yeah."

An hour later, Bud had re-opened the curtain as the mothers slept while the two dads attended to their children, quietly talking to one another.

Admiral Chegwidden and Sturgis Turner arrived with AJ and Jimmy, a short time later.

"Daddy!" AJ and Jimmy both exclaimed, before anyone could stop them to tell them about their sleeping mother and godmother.

Mac startled awake, but Harriet woke more slowly, being used to the noise of her two rambunctious boys.

"Sorry," Harm murmured to her, handing Robby over to her and sitting in the chair.

"It's okay," she smiled, noticing the Admiral and Sturgis. "Hello, sir; Sturgis."

"Colonel, Commander," Admiral Chegwidden said, smiling. "Congratulations. The blue blanket must mean that you have a son?"

Harm grinned widely. "Yes, sir, it does."

Turner offered his own congratulations to them, before joining the Admiral to do the same for Bud and Harriet.

"Okay, what are their names?" Admiral Chegwidden asked the four grinning parents.

"Robert Matthew," Mac said, turning her son for them to see.

"Nicole Mackenzie and Michael Harmon," Harriet said, as she turned Nikki towards them, while Bud did the same with Michael.

"Very appropriate," he nodded, smiling. Turning serious, he looked first at Harriet, then at Mac. "Which one of you gave birth first?"

"It was a tie," Mac said, laughing. "Michael and Robert were both born at 08:43."

"You are _not_ serious," Sturgis said, looking incredulously between the two couples.

"We are," Harm grinned, nodding. "Amazing, isn't it?"

"So… what about the pool at the office?" Sturgis frowned. "I hear it's up to quite a tidy sum, and if it was a tie, no one wins."

"Donate it to charity," Mac said, looking to Harriet, who immediately smiled and nodded her agreement. "Something that helps the families of military children that have lost a parent in the line of duty."

"Colonel, that is an excellent idea," Admiral Chegwidden smiled, nodding his approval. "I'll make sure Coates handles it first thing tomorrow."

Little AJ moved over to stand beside Mac's bed, having seen his siblings already. "Auntie Mac, can I see your baby?"

Harm moved to lift the boy up so that he could get a closer look at the sleeping baby boy, setting him down carefully on the bed beside Mac.

"He looks like Uncle Harm," AJ pronounced.

Mac smiled. "He does, doesn't he?"

"Is your baby my cousin?" AJ asked.

"Something like that," Harm said, ruffling his hair.

AJ sighed and looked at Harm, then at Mac, before he touched his baby 'cousin's' face gently. "Uncle Harm and Auntie Mac will be a good Mommy and Daddy," he told him quietly. "It sure took them long enough."

Harm and Mac shared a smile, as did Bud and Harriet, as AJ climbed down and moved back over to where his family was.

"Out of the mouths of babes," Admiral Chegwidden murmured to Turner, a large grin on his face, as they watched Harm lean over to first kiss his son, and then his wife…

**End**


End file.
